Sleuths of the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday caught an assistant divisional engineer of the AP Central Power Distribution Company Ltd (APCPDCL) while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000 from a farmer for an official favour.
According to ACB DSP C Bhaskar Reddy, P Suresh Reddy of Mallikethu village of D Hirehal mandal submitted an application to the authorities seeking four agricultural power connections and installation of a transformer in January 2012. He had also submitted a demand draft for Rs 27,100 as fee with the application.
Later, the authorities concerned sanctioned the connections and the contractor, who was assigned the task of installing the transformer also completed the works of the base.
However, the ADE, J Prasad, delayed the release of the transformer despite repeated appeals from the farmer. He rather demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 for an official favour. However, after much haggling, a deal was struck at Rs 6,000.
The farmer then lodged a complaint with the ACB officials, who laid a trap and caught the ADE red-handed at his office in Rayadurgam while he was accepting the bribe and handing over the amount to M Raju, who works as a computer operator in the office.
The official will be produced before the ACB court in Kurnool on Thursday, the ACB DSP said.